Noodle from Egg-White: The High-Protein Alternative
If there were a word to describe the current food tech industry, “alternative” would perhaps fit the detailed description. With plant-based food, edible insects, and cultivated meat taking their stage as newer alternative options, the food market may take flight to an even more adventurous path.
According to Meticulous Research’s paper, the Alternative Protein market will continue to thrive from 2022–2029, with an expectation to reach up to $ 36.61 billion by 2029. The number portrays a more open-minded attitude of not only from the consumer’s side but also the investor section as well. Despite the past debate of whether alternative products would be safe, the advancement of food tech is still going strong with significant market growth.
Without a doubt, the creation of brand-new food products will emerge and perhaps be normalized into the shelves of everyday supermarkets in the same manner as canned food or traditional products would. However, among the sea of competitive food tech markets, an equally innovative diet trend also arises alongside the technological landscape.
The Gluten-free Growth and the Glowing Keto
Apart from the alternative protein debate over the years, the term gluten-free gained its traction as another remarkable product for not only gluten-sensitive consumers but among health conscious eaters. With the aim to derive gluten, a protein mostly found in wheat or spices, the diet supports patients with low said protein tolerance while other eaters believe in the healthy benefit of consuming a glutenless diet. Although more research needs to be conducted, the public believe that gluten-free diets assist in weight loss journey and even in dermatological ways such as lessening the occurrence of acne.
According to Vantage Market Research, the non-gluten food market was estimated to reach 11.8 billion dollar value by 2023. Together with the end of Covid-19, more and more eaters prioritized their health through consumption of gluten-free diet as a whole.
Surprisingly, the rise of gluten free diets align with ketogenic or Keto diets which focus on lowering carbohydrate intake while maintaining high protein and fats to prompt fat burning process. The Keto diet trend also took the fitness world by storm, offering a fulfilling diet plan for weight loss and muscle growth. With both types of consumption having a clear restriction on certain types of carbohydrate, they share a similar feature for the health conscious eaters market.
With closeness in ingredients and the growth in current market, gluten-free and keto diet products offer a different choice for consumers almost in the same way alternative protein promotes a sustainable and cruelty-free meat product. However, rarely could we see the intersection between alternative protein, gluten-free, and keto diet, even when the triplet product shares similar elements.
To mix the three elements of an alternative yet healthy diet, a group of Thai researchers use a simple yet profound ingredient, egg-white. Throwing their ambition with the slimy substance, egg white acted as the main hero in the grand scheme of connecting the three food trends, alternative protein, Keto, and gluten-free diets.
When imagining egg white, the white color substance is usually associated with heartily protein when separated from the yolk, offering a pure amount of protein. However, the flavor and texture when cooked separately may not be appealing to everyone and oftentimes the egg-white was leftover as a waste when cooking.
With later determination, “Tann:D,” meaning eating well food, has become the name of the company from these researchers. Their signature product is “Eggyday egg-white noodles,” created through Protein Transformation Technology by blending and coating plants-based extraction onto egg-white’s protein, changing the substance into flour-like strands. The noodle tastes exactly like a noodle you would find in a restaurant without a trace indicating its origin as egg-white. More importantly, the noodle can be eaten instantly without heat required.
The product by itself is high in protein from the egg-white while containing no dough, making a low calories and low carb diet suitable for both Keto and gluten-free consumers. The creation of this product can likely be the first few innovators that combine different aspects of food trends into a simple asian oriented cuisine such as noodle, Udon unlike mostly western oriented cuisine that may not appeal to countries of asia.
“We plan to export Thai health products to answer the growing consumer markets, like patients with kidney disease, cancer and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.” Asst. Prof. Dr. Sathaporn, the co-founder of Thandee Innofood Co., concluded in her interview.
Without a doubt, the continuing development of food tech will bring up further opportunities for investment with newer and newer trends of diet play an important role in the market demand.
To answer not only the sustainable food technology but also the demanding markets, mindfulness and understanding of consumer’s consuming behavior and consciousness become significantly important.